Merrill Foto News Staff
Next Tuesday’ Spring General Election (April 7) will showcase contested races for three City of Merrill aldermanic seats, as well as the 6th District County Supervisor seat.
Below are contested in both races and respective candidates:
City of Merrill Common Council:
Aldermanic District 1: Paul Russell (Incumbent)
Full Name: Paul Russell
Age: 53
Family (spouse, children, grandchildren): Engaged to Alliesion Barden, 2 sons Nick and Ian.
Employment/position: Developer – Merrill Building Dreams and Opportunities Inc. and Retired Military – US Army/National Guard Enlisted and Officer, 31 years of service.
Past or present elected offices held, dates served:
- 1st District Alderperson April 2016 to present
- Current President Lincoln County Fair Board 2018 – present
- City of Merrill Police and Fire Commission – 2018 to present
- Current Chair and past member City Personnel and Finance Committee – 2017 to present
- Merrill Enrichment Center Committee – 2018 to present
- Merrill Community Development Committee -2019 to present
- Past chair and member Merrill Health and Safety Committee 2016-2019
- Merrill Historic Preservation Committee 2016 to present
- Past member Merrill Festival Grounds Committee – 2016-2018; State Military Officers Association Legislative Committee Chair and member 1998-2007.
Membership in religious, service, fraternal, etc., clubs or organizations, and offices held, dates served:
*Veterans of Foreign Wars VFW 2008-present; Chairman of board Northwoods Veterans Post – 2016 to the present; *American Legion – 2019 to present; Merrill Eagles Club – 2016 to present;
- Merrill Historical Society 2015-present; Merrill Silver M – 2007 to present;
- Merrill Chapter Ducks Unlimited – 2009 to present; Vice-President
- (M.A.C.R) Merrill Area Community Rides Charity-2017-Present,
- Wisconsin Military Officers Association – 1985-present,
- member of Saint Francis and Trinity churches.
Why have you chosen to run for the office you seek:: “To continue serving the residents in the first ward and to lead the city Common Council down a path of continuous improvement for the good and betterment of Merrill.
“Any well run organization, be it private, public, government or volunteer, requires experienced and strong leadership to be effective. In the case of our city government, that leadership requirement falls to our City Council. In the 1st District, I am best prepared, most experienced in management and tested in leadership. As a career military officer I accumulated the kind of experience and developed the type of leadership skills required to make solid plans, set in place the required resources and drive the desired results within the limitations of time and budget. Solid, clear and understandable plans, efficient use of limited resources and the dedication to get to desired results is what I will continue to bring to the council if re-elected.
“As chair of the Personnel and Finance Committee, I dealt directly with the 2018 debacle of misrepresented and misunderstood tax levies. Staff responsible for the unfortunate faux pas, including miscommunication of projected overall rates of increase, were counseled on the City Council’s expectation for their performance going forward, and guided to improvement plans that would serve their citizen bosses significantly better. That is an example of experienced leadership, and my service for the last 4 plus years in this community make me best qualified for the job.
“I also recognize that just saying taxes will not go up, might work for one year. But to assure our community that maintaining an effective budget which delivers required and desired services, while holding taxes to a minimum, if any increases, takes a plan. Asking citizens which services they want abandoned, doesn’t equate to a plan. That plan has to balance highly cost-effective city operations, support to local businesses of all types, along with measured incentives which promote growth instead of paying for it. The October, 2019 S&P Global Ratings report downgrading the City’s credit rating is the result of “paying for growth” for ten years instead of a laser focus on promoting it and judicious use of tax incremental financing .
“I have the experience to lead our Common Council to require measurable performance from the City’s staff. I know only a daily focus on “continuous improvement” can pare back tax increase pressures and at the same time improve life for all of us in the larger community. I love living in the district I grew up in and am proud to serve it’s residents. I ask for your continued support on February 18, 2020.
VS.
Becky Meyer (Challenger)
Age: 40
Family (spouse, children, grandchildren): Parents Dan (Nav) & Jean Meyer my rescue dog Olive
Employment/position: Premium Audit Specialist with Church Mutual Insurance Company S.I.
Past or present elected offices held, dates served (Membership in religious, service, fraternal, etc., clubs or organizations, and offices held:
- Congregational Secretary of St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church, currently serving.
- President of Merrill Special Olympics Booster Club, currently serving.
Why have you chosen to run for the office you seek: “I have been a part of the Merrill community all my life. I moved back into the city a couple of years ago. I started to observe city meetings and realized the citizens of Merrill needed a voice. I would like to be that voice. In the time that I have listened to the meetings I have seen the disconnect within our city. I would like to assist in building the bridge between all points of view that will help achieve a great outcome for the citizens, business owners, city employees, etc. of Merrill.
“With the present circumstances in our country right now I was unable to really get out and talk to the constituents. I hope everyone is healthy and safe during this time. If I am elected, my promise is to listen to the citizens and be present for our District. I ask for your vote on April 7th .”
Aldermanic District 5: John VanLieShout (Incumbent)
Age:45
Family(spouse, children, grandchildren): : Wife-Kati. Children: Emma, Colton and Piper
Employment: Lincoln County, Network Engineer
Past or present elected offices held: Current 5th District Alderman
Membership in religious, service, fraternal, etc., clubs or organizations, and offices held:
- Commander American Legion Post 46 (1999-Present), Executive Board Member Northwoods Veterans Post (2016-Present)
- Board Member Ascension Good Samaritan Hospital Foundation (2018-Present)
Why have you chosen to run for the office you seek: I enjoy being involved with our community. I will continue to work with all of the other Aldermen, whoever that may be, and the city staff, to continue the progress that we have already made. I would love the opportunity to continue on this path and help make Merrill a city that we can all be proud of. Thank you for all of your support.”
VS.
Shannon Collins (Challenger)
*No photo/information submitted
Aldermanic District 6: Mike Rick (Incumbent)
Age:50
Family (spouse, children, grandchildren): : Wife-Teri, Children-Michael ,Nick , Bryce, Andrew, Kelsey. Grandchildren: Lucy, Raelynne
Employment: Lincoln County Highway Dept parts clerk
Past or present elected offices held: Current 6th District Alderman, Town of Merrill Supervisor (2016-2018)
Membership in religious, service, fraternal, etc., clubs or organizations, and offices held: Lincoln county humane society board member (2016-2019.)
Why have you chosen to run for the office you seek: “I have chosen to run for 6th district alderman is for one main reason. I would like to keep Merrill moving forward. My main objective is to keep spending and borrowing at a bare minimum, while maintaining current staffing and services. We cannot allow our current staffing to drop below what it is without it impacting our city services.”
VS.
Kyle Gulke (Challenger)
Full Name: Kyle Gulke
Age: 28
Family (spouse, children, grandchildren): None
Employment/position: Seasonal Worker(Currently Unemployed)
Past or present elected offices held: None
Membership in religious, service, fraternal, etc., clubs or organizations, and offices held:
- Aware and Active Citizens (Young People Action Committee,
- Local Environmental Activists & Friends)
- Friends of the River Bend Trail
Why have you chosen to run for the office you seek: “I have decided to run because over the past few years of getting involved with local politics I have witnessed a number of bad decisions. One of the decisions that happened recently was cutting the solar panels out of the Parks and Recreation Commission budget, these solar panels would have helped reduce the city’s cost of operations and put Merrill on a more sustainable path going forward.
“One of the main reasons I am running is to set a goal of becoming a carbon-neutral city by the year 2035. In order to achieve this I will look at what other Wisconsin cities with similar goals are doing and apply them to Merrill, e.g., energy efficiency upgrades, LED lighting, solar on city buildings, electric city vehicles. Another reason I’m running is to increase government transparency. I will increase transparency by holding Town Hall Block Parties at least twice a year to answer questions and listen to the comments and concerns of the people I represent. A big reason I’m running is the declining population. We can help reverse this trend by diversifying job opportunities, expanding recreation options, and enhancing events to draw new people to Merrill. I think the biggest thing we can do to reverse the decline in population is market the city better to spread the word about all of the amazing things that Merrill and the surrounding areas have to offer.
“Overall I’m running to put Merrill on a sustainable financial and environmental path and also give the average citizen more representation in city hall.”
Lincoln County Board of Supervisors:
District 6: Norbert “Nubs” Ashbeck (Incumbent)
Age: 76
Family (spouse, children, grandchildren): Wife: Anne, three children and seven grandchildren.
Employment/position: Retired-Director of Radiology of 26 years at Good Samaritan Hospital.
Past or present elected offices held, dates served: District 6 Lincoln County Board Supervisor (2018-Present); MAPS Board of Education (2015-Present.)
Membership in religious, service, fraternal, etc., clubs or organizations, and offices held:
- Lincoln County Crime Stoppers Board of Directors: (1996-Present)
- Northcentral Health Care Board of Directors member (2018-Present)
- ADRC Board of Directors member (2018-Present)
- Community Action Board Member (2018-Present.)
Why have you chosen to run for the office you seek: “I have served as the 6th District Supervisor for the last two years and thank the voters for the support. It truly has been a learning experience. I have participated on the Finance, Law Enforcement, Emergency Management and Health Insurance Committees. Further, I represent Lincoln County on the Board of Directors for the Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC); Community Action Program (CAP) and North Central Health Care (NCHC). I have had a long history of managing a budget, including in times of struggle. I am able to be reasonable in making decisions. creative in proposing solutions, and look to improve quality of Lincoln County services, without sacrificing the values that are ingrained in the history of Merrill.”
“I am again looking to the voters, to continue their support and vote for me for the 6th District Supervisor in April. As of January 1, 2020 the county has transferred the administration of Pine Crest Nursing Home to North Central Health Care (NCHC), in hopes that NCHC can improve efficiencies, so that financially Pine Crest Nursing Home can continue to be operated. I feel it is important to continue to provide oversight of the operations of Pine Crest, to preserve the quality of service that Lincoln County residents count on. Having worked in the medical profession, I understand the quality control and assurance standards and am fluent in the measurement language. As a Supervisor, I am able to maintain close relations to the management of NCHC. Vote for Norbert Ashbeck for 6th District Supervisor and maintain knowledgeable oversight of the Pine Crest Operations.”
VS.
Landis Holdorf (Challenger)
Landis Holdorf (Challenger)
Full Name: Landis Paul Holdorf
Age: 23
Family (spouse, children, grandchildren): Jewell Holdorf (Spouse), Landis Holdorf Jr. (Son)
Employment/position: Senior Research Assistant at Center for Business and Economic Insight
Past or present elected offices held, dates served: N/A
Membership in religious, service, fraternal, etc., clubs or organizations, and offices held:
- Nicolet Board of Trustees, Student Representative, Nicolet Area Technical College, Rhinelander, Wisconsin (September 2017 -January 2018)
- Nicolet Student Leadership Council, Board Member, Nicolet Area Technical College, Rhinelander, Wisconsin (September 2016 – May 2018)
- Wisconsin Student Government, Governor, Nicolet Area Technical College, Rhinelander, Wisconsin (September 2016 – May 2018)
- UWSP Student Government Association, Associate Budget Director (Interim), University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, Stevens Point, Wisconsin (August 2018 – November 2018)
- UWSP College Republicans, Treasurer, University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, Stevens Point, Wisconsin (April 2019 – April 2020)
- Lincoln County Republican Party, Vice-Chairman, Merrill, Wisconsin (December 2020 – Present)
- Zion Lutheran Church Elders Guild, Elder, Zion Lutheran Church, Wausau, Wisconsin (February 2020 – Present)
Why have you chosen to run for the office you seek: “As a lifelong member of the Merrill community, I know the high standard of quality that the hard- working citizens of the Sixth District expect from their elected officials. However, for far too long, both big and small cities across Wisconsin have been neglected and sold out by their elected officials. We see politicians pursuing their own personal interests at the expense of the working class and the to the detriment of large portions of the state.
“Two areas that come to mind are infrastructure and high-speed internet access. Lincoln County consistently ranks near the bottom of the state in these areas. This plagues business growth and entrepreneurship opportunities in the county. As a board member, I will work to provide all businesses and citizens equal access to high-speed internet, infrastructure, and community support that fuels economic growth.
“Furthermore, as some may know, the Lincoln County of Board of Supervisors recently failed to pass a resolution affirming the county as a second-amendment sanctuary. The board voted 13 – 9 to send the proposal back to the administrative and legislative committee; among the “no” votes was the current occupant of the Sixth District’s board seat. This is flat out unacceptable as it improperly reflects the view of the citizens in Merrill’s Sixth District.
“This is but one of the many examples of our elected officials failing to uphold and reflect the values that their constituents clearly hold. As a Lincoln County Board Supervisor, I will work to implement policies that are not only pro-second amendment, but that are also pro-community, pro-family, and pro-worker. Most importantly, I will not compromise on my pledge to put Merrill and its hard working citizens, not career politicians, first. That is why I am asking the residents of the Sixth District to vote and to make a change on April 7th.”